Non-Invasive Methods for Determining the Cardiovascular Status of an Individual

1. A non-invasive method for evaluating artery wall status and risk of developing cardiovascular disease in an individual, comprising: (a) measuring a thickness of an artery intima layer in the individual and a thickness of an artery media layer in the individual using ultrasound employing a frequency greater than 15 MHz, (b) calculating a ratio of the measured intima thickness to the measured media thickness (measured I/M ratio), and (c) determining artery wall status and risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the individual by comparing the measured intima thickness and/or the measured I/M ratio to (i) a healthy intima thickness, comprising a mean intima thickness of a group of healthy subjects of the same sex and age of the individual, and/or a healthy I/M ratio, comprising a mean ratio of intima thickness to media thickness of a group of healthy subjects of the same sex and age of the individual, respectively, wherein if the measured intima thickness and/or the measured I/M ratio are greater than the healthy intima thickness and/or the healthy I/M ratio, respectively, the individual is evaluated as having an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and (ii) an older intima thickness, comprising a mean intima thickness of a group of healthy subjects of the same sex of the individual and of a mean age greater than the age of the individual, and/or an older I/M ratio, comprising a mean ratio of intima thickness to media thickness of a group of healthy subjects of the same sex and of a mean age greater than the age of the individual, respectively, wherein if the measured intima thickness and/or the measured I/M ratio are equivalent to or greater than the older intima thickness and/or the older I/M ratio, respectively, the individual is evaluated as having an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring step is performed in a superficial artery of the individual.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the superficial artery comprises a carotid artery, a femoral artery, a radialis artery, a cubital artery, a temporal artery, a popliteal artery, a dorsalis pedis artery or the measuring step is performed in a combination of arteries.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cardiovascular disease comprises coronary heart disease, heart failure, or stroke.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cardiovascular disease comprises coronary heart disease.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cardiovascular disease comprises myocardial infarction.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cardiovascular disease comprises stroke.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cardiovascular disease comprises heart failure.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measured intima thickness and/or the measured I/M ratio are also compared with a diseased intima thickness comprising a mean intima thickness of a group of subjects of the same sex and age of the individual and having cardiovascular disease, and/or a diseased I/M ratio comprising a mean ratio of intima thickness to media thickness of a group of subjects of the same sex and age of the individual and having cardiovascular disease, respectively, wherein if the measured intima thickness and/or the measured I/M ratio are equivalent to or greater than the diseased intima thickness and/or the diseased I/M ratio, respectively, the individual is evaluated as having an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the measured I/M ratio is compared with the diseased I/M ratio, and the diseased I/M ratio is greater than or equal to about 0.52.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the measured intima thickness is compared with the diseased intima thickness, and the diseased intima thickness is greater than or equal to about 0.19 mm.

12. A non-invasive method for evaluating artery wall status and risk of developing cardiovascular disease selected from the group consisting of coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke in an individual, comprising: (a) measuring a thickness of an artery intima layer in the individual and a thickness of an artery media layer in the individual using ultrasound employing a frequency greater than 15 MHz, (b) calculating a ratio of the measured intima thickness to the measured media thickness (measured I/M ratio), and (c) determining artery wall status and risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the individual by comparing the measured intima thickness and/or measured I/M ratio to an older intima thickness, comprising a mean intima thickness of a group of healthy subjects of the same sex of the individual and of a mean age greater than the age of the individual, and/or an older I/M ratio, comprising a mean ratio of intima thickness to media thickness of a group of healthy subjects of the same sex and of a mean age greater than the age of the individual, respectively, wherein if the measured intima thickness and/or the measured I/M ratio are equivalent to or greater than the older intima thickness and/or the older I/M ratio, respectively, the individual is evaluated as having an increased risk of said cardiovascular disease, wherein the method optionally includes the additional step (ii) and/or step (iii) (ii) comparing the measured intima thickness and/or measured I/M ratio to a healthy intima thickness, comprising a mean intima thickness of a group of healthy subjects of the same sex and age of the individual, and/or a healthy I/M ratio, comprising a mean ratio of intima thickness to media thickness of a group of healthy subjects of the same sex and age of the individual, respectively, wherein if the measured intima thickness and/or the measured I/M ratio are greater than the healthy intima thickness and/or the healthy I/M ratio, respectively, the individual is evaluated as having an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, (iii) comparing the measured intima thickness and/or measured I/M ratio to a diseased intima thickness comprising a mean intima thickness of a group of subjects of the same sex and age of the individual and having said cardiovascular disease, and/or a diseased I/M ratio, comprising a mean ratio of intima thickness to media thickness of a group of subjects of the same sex and age of the individual and having cardiovascular disease, respectively, wherein if the measured intima thickness and/or the measured I/M ratio are equivalent to or greater than the diseased intima thickness and/or the diseased I/M ratio, respectively, the individual is evaluated as having an increased risk of said cardiovascular disease.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the measuring step is performed in a superficial artery of the individual.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the superficial artery comprises a carotid artery, a femoral artery, a radialis artery, a cubital artery, a temporal artery, a popliteal artery, a dorsalis pedis artery or measuring step is performed in a combination of arteries.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the measured I/M ratio is compared with the diseased I/M ratio, and the diseased I/M ratio is greater than or equal to about 0.52.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the measured intima thickness is compared with the diseased intima thickness, and the diseased intima thickness is greater than or equal to about 0.19 mm.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cardiovascular disease comprises coronary heart disease.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cardiovascular disease comprises myocardial infarction.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cardiovascular disease comprises heart failure.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cardiovascular disease comprises stroke.

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the measured intima thickness and the measured I/M ratio are compared with the healthy intima thickness and the healthy I/M ratio, respectively, with the older intima thickness and the older I/M ratio, respectively, and with the diseased intima thickness and the diseased I/M ratio, respectively.